Golf club joint



July 16, 1935. A. A. KRAEUTER GOLF CLUB JOINT Filed Dec. 28, 1928 FIG.2

Q Q, INVENTOR BY A ATTORNEY Patented July 16, 1935 GOLF CLUB JOINT Arthur A. Kraeuter, South Orange, N. J assignor to The Kroydon Company, a. corporation of New Jersey ApplicationDecember 28, 1928, Serial No. 328,928

' 2 Claims. (01. 27380) This invention relates to golf clubs and more particularly to clubs having metallic or other fabricated material handle shafts in which is utilized a continuously tapering shaft secured to '5 a head having an integral outwardly flaring hosel.

It has for its object the construction of a golf club having all of the resiliency and other characteristics of the previously constructed. clubs having wooden handle shafts and yet retaining all of the desirable features obtainable with'the use of metallic or otherv fabricated materials shaft, it being well known that wooden shafts are likely to warp, check, crack and are susceptible to uneven flexibility and other undesirable features due to atmospheric conditions or from those beyond the control of the user.

It is therefore an object of this invention to arrange a golf club having the head and hosel of standard configuration but provided with a portion for joining the handle, connecting the hosel and shaft, in such a way that no. uneven joints are provided and that the metallic, fabricated, or other shaft will be reenforced and provide the necessary rigidity in the same manner as would be supplied by the customary wooden shafts. In addition to these advantages it is possible with a fabricated shaft to provide the proper weight and balance of the club in such a way that it will maintain its balance regard less of the presence or absence of moisture.

Another object is to simplify the construction of a golf club utilizing a metal or fabricated shaft, in which the necessary reenforcing is provided to the shaft without rendering the construction more difficult by utilizing a special or difiicult metal working operation to form a shaft of the same configuration as previously used wooden ones.

Another object is to provide a construction of golf clubs inwhich a hollow metal or other fabricated material shaft having a continuous and uninterrupted taper may be used.

Another object is to simplify the construction of a golf club head which is utilized in connection with a straight continuously tapering shaft.

Further and more definite objects will appear from the following claims, specification and drawing in which Fig. 1 indicates a club embodying the features of my invention;

Fig. 2 shows an enlarged view of the hosel, and shaft portions of the club;

Fig. 3 shows a cross section of the club indicated in Fig. 2 with the shaft partially removed; and

Fig. 4 shows a modified form of construction which might be utilized inthis connection with the shaft partially removed. 5

Referring now more particularly to the draw ing, the golf club I is shown in the form of an ordinary iron club having an iron head although this arrangement of parts might also be utilized in connection with a wooden club ifdesired. The club is constructed with a tubular metal shaft 2; preferably of steel, inserted into the hosel having portions 3 and 4 of the head 5. A pin or rivet b may be utilized-to secure the parts to gether in conjunction with a cement or other hardened iiuid introduced within the joint.

The handle 2 may be composed of a hollow metallic tubing or other fabricated material which has been previously utilized in connection with golf clubs and similar devices. The construction about to be disclosed is also particularly well adapted for use in connection with what is known as seamed hollow tubing in which a strip of metal is wrapped about a mandrel and welded or otherwise secured together at the seam to form a rigid tubing but requiring special reenforcement. This tubing is tapered slightly from one end toward the other, it being smaller at the end which is inserted within the head 5 and larger at the other end of the handle. The fact that the shaft 2 is reduced at the head end and that there may be a seam therein renders this portion of the handle somewhat weaker than the enlarged portion. For this reason it is necessary to reenforce this portion an appreciable distance so that it 3 will not flex so easily and also to produce the necessary rigidity which corresponds to that provided by clubs of the previous, well known, wooden handle construction.

To accomplish this purpose a special head 5 is provided with a hosel having integrally reversely tapered portions 3 and 4 or these portions may be welded'or otherwise secured thereto. As shown in Fig. 3 these portions are formed integral and the tapered opening a may be drilled, reamed or 5 otherwise machined into the head 5. This hole 8 should be of the proper taper to form a close fit with the taper on the shaft 2, so that less likelihood of their being loose results. The handle 2 is then inserted into the hole 8 as far as possible, having introduced cement or other hardening compound therein to secure a tight fit and the parts secured firmly together by means of a rivet or pin 6 passing through the holes 9 and H] in the hosel and handle respectively.

From this construction it is apparent that the portion 3 of the head 5 extends an appreciable distance upwardly on the shaft and that the two portions 3 and 4 form an effective ferrule for preventing flexing of the tubing at this section or other distortions which might be likely to take place. The head is formed integrally with the outwardly flaring hosel portion 4 and the reversely tapered longitudinally concave portion 3 so that the greatest strength is provided about the points between these two portions, the shaft being reenforced effectively throughout this extent with a minimum amount of metal. The resistance to bending action causes the shaft to be very rigid about this section comparing favorably with that rigidity provided by previously used wooden clubs, whereas above this section, the shaft being somewhat reduced from that further up, the necessary flexibility is provided at the proper point without producing undesirable weakness which would result if no reenforcing were provided. Also, in case the material of this ferrule portion were found to be too heavy and of too much mass it might be reduced by undercutting an appreciable distance of the central portion within the hole 8. In order to produce a tight fit and prevent water or other foreign substances from getting in between the tubing 2 and the portion 3 the edges H of the adapter 3 may be spun into close contact with the shaft 2 in well known manner, or the edge of the portion 3 may be secured to the shaft by brazing, sweating, welding, soldering or in any other suitable way. This not only shuts out undesirable particles but also insures an effective reenforcement by close contacts between the parts. It will be observed that the tapered portion 3 does not have a straight taper but the exterior of this portion is a longitudinally curved concaved surface. The presence of this curvature causes the flexibility of the club to be graduated and distributed so as to give the desired flexibility and feel to the club, and this may be varied by varying the curvature of the concave.

In order to obviate the necessity of providing a long tapered hole 8, a modified form of construction, such as is shown in Fig. i may be utilized. Here the head M is provided with a hosel portion 5 with slightly outwardly flaring side walls but the portion 16 may be arranged of the same size as the largest diameter of the hosel. The hole 2! may then be bored of uniform cross section throughout and a smaller hole l8 may be extended through the bottom. The upper portion I6 may then be spun down to a smaller dimension as indicated at H and the end l9 may be finished with a hole designed to fit the handle 22. The handle 22 may then be inserted so that it then fits tightly within the hole it and the portion is be spun down more closely to fit the handle. The rivet may then be inserted in the customary manner.

It is thus apparent that with the handle inserted in the recess at the bottom of the ferrule portion and rigidly supported at the upper end of the downwardly flaring portion I1 and prevented from removal therefrom by means of the pin, that the handle will be securely re-enforced, providing the necessary rigidity and also permitting flexibility corresponding to that produced by previously utilized wooden handles. It also permits the use of a continuously tapered shaft which may be readily manufactured and carried in stock Without machining or otherwise constructing complicated and difficult formations thereon.

It is not intended to be limited to the exact constructions used but slight variations and modifications could be incorporated therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The two portions of the ferrule might be welded or otherwise secured together and the opening therein could be hollowed out or imdercut in any manner desired. The advantage of this construction lies in the fact that the re-enforcing takes place at the proper location so that a continuously tapering handle portion will have the same resilient characteristics as that of a handle having special enlargements or reduced portions.

Having thus described my invention I desire only to be limited to the extent indicated in the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a golf club, a head having a hosel comprising integrally formed portions having their exterior reversely tapered, the portion more remote from the head having a longitudinally concave exterior surface decreasing in diameter as said head is receded from and the other of said portions increasing in diameter as the head is receded from, a tapered tubular metal shaft inserted into said hosel, means located in said hosel for securing said shaft in said hosel, said outer portion of said hosel fitting at its end tightly about said shaft and merging therewith to form a smooth joint, said shaft engaging with the interior of said hosel at longitudinally separate-:1 points and being out of engagement with said hosel between said points.

2. In a golf club, a head having a hosel comprising integrally formed portions having their exterior reversely tapered, the portion more remote from the head having a longitudinally exterior surface decreasing in diameter as said head is receded from and the other of said portions increasing in diameter as the head is receded from, a tapered tubular metal shaft inserted into said hosel, means located in said hosel for securing said shaft in said hosel, said outer portion of said hosel fitting at its end tightly about said shaft and merging therewith to form a smooth joint, said shaft engaging with the interior of said hosel at longitudinally separated points and being out of engagement with said hosel between said points.

ARTHUR A. KRAEUTER. 

